Ballast cleaning and removing machine



July 15, 1930. J. F. ROBE BALLAST CLEANING AND REMOVING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 5, 1927 July 15, 1930. J. F. RoBB i BALLASTCLEANING AND REMOVING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lmllnl ld l| :TNW @.w wwwm k f l b mv N NNN f mw of ./U f HMV.

...#.IQQSM -www MNJ Patented .lul-y 15, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JOHN F. ROBB,OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO BALLAST CLEANING AND REMOVING MACHINEApplication filed February The purpose of this invention has been todevelop a practical design of machine for removing, cleaning andreplacing ballast between railroad tracks. There are today, I believe,ballast cleaning machines which han- Alle ballast located at the sidesof the railroad track, digging up the ballast, or otherwise removing itand screening the same to clean it. So far as I am aware, however, therehas never been proposed, or made, any machine which will handle theremoval of the ballast from between the ties, and between the tracksresting on the ties, and clean such ballast as a part of thegeneral/machine operation.

In the carrying out of my invention, I propose to employ ballastremoving means, which operates in paths parallel to and between theties, to remove the ballast from between the ties throughout theirentire lengths and shift the ballast to a side of the railroad track,including such ties. My machine includes an elevator, or conveyor, ofsuitable construction, which is arranged at one side of `the track andadapted to elevate the ballast as it is removed from between the tiesand, by the removing mechanism, cause the same to be conveyed to ascreening or any suitable cleaning means whatsoever. The screening orcleaning means is a part of the general machine and is preferablylocated above the track itself and adapted to travel along the track bymeans of the traction support which not only supports the cleaningmechanism but also the ballast removing means and conveyer meansreferred to.

My invention includes a ballast conveyor which is movably supported andadjustable to be raised and lowered when out of and in use,respectively.

My invention further proposes special conveyer mechanism for carryingoff from the machine the dirt and foreign matter which is screened orotherwise cleaned out of the ballast, thus getting rid of thisundesirable portion of said ballast.

5, 1927. Serial No. 166,144.

My invention further includes provisions for the replacement of thecleaned ballast between the ties, including preferably a moving type ofhopper which is shiftable transversely of the frame of the tractionsupport, and transversely of the railroad track itself, so that thecleaned ballast received in the hopper may be dumped along the spacesbetween the ties from which spaces it has been previously removed withthe dirt forming a part of the same.

Or if I use a hopper that is stationary, or has only movement betweenthe rails, I may employ special spreading devices to spread out thereplaced ballast as it passes to the road bed.

My invention includes other detailed features of construction which willappear more fully hereinafter as this description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a cross sectional view througha machine largely as constructed in my Letters Patent No. 1,595,420granted August 10th, 1926, on which machine the ballast removing,elevating and cleaning means of the present invention are mounted.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but taken at a different crosssection point and showing more particularly the devices for feeding theballast back to the road bed after it has been removed by meansillustrated in Figure 1.

My invention contemplates the use of ballastremoving mechanism andtraction supporting means substantially asset forth in 30 my LettersPatent No. 1,595,420, issued August 10th, 1926, or, if desired, I mayemploy for the ballast removing mechanism of my machine, the removingmeans which is set f forth in Overmier Patent No. 1,588,801, of June15th, 1926, which patent shows a very excellent type of ballast removingdevices that might be used readily for the purposes of my invention, inorder to remove the ballast from between the ties to a place at one sideof the track where a receiver and conveyer are mounted and ready toreceive said ballast, to transfer the same to the cleaning mechanism ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings, I do not think it necessary to specificallyset forth the various features of my machine which is fully illustratedin my Letters Patent previously identified herein. It suffices to statethat the general frame work and ballast digging or removing deviceswhich are shown in my previous patent are used in my presentconstruction. I note that the ballast removing devices or diggers arecarried by the supporting frame 1 and are designated 2. The frame 1 isoscillated by being suspended from cranks supported by shafts 3 as willbe understood from my previous patent. The diggers or ballast removersmay be raised and lowered as heretofore presented in said patent.

The novel features of my invention comprise mainly the use at one sideof my machine, preferably of a ballast receiver or receptacle 4. As thediggers 2 operate they push or kick the ballast to one side of therailroad track by carrying it lengthwise of the ties, from between thoseportions of the ties intermediate the rails, and the portions at theoutside of the rails. There is mounted on the frame-work of the machineby means of arms 5 and 6 pivoted at 7 and 8 respectively, an endlessbucket conveyer or elevator 9. The buckets of said elevator 9 are sodisposed as to operate through and elevate the material received by thereceiver 4 until said material passing over the upper end of theelevator is dropped into a chute 10 and thence passes into a stationarychute 11. In this manner the chute 11 is supplied with the dirty ballastand from the chute 11 said ballast passes into a rotary sieve or screen12. The screen 12 is driven by a drive shaft 13, operated bya/,fsprocket chain 14 and in turn driving avertical shaft 15 to which itis geared by bevel gears 16 and 17. As the material is screened by thesieve 12, the dirt passing through the orifices of the sieve will fallupon a conveyer belt 18 driven by a shaft 19 from the shaft'15. Saidconveyer belt 18 conveys the dirt and foreign matter removed from theballast to a chute 20 that leads off quite a distance from one side ofthe road bed on which the ties 21 are laid with rails 22.

The elevator 18 is operated by takin power olf of a suitable drive shaftsupporte on the frame-work of the machine and connected by a universaljoint 23 with the elevator driving shaft 24. Said shaft 24 is geared toa secondary driving shaft 25 mounted in suitable bearings on one side ofthe elevator frame.

The ballast comprising the larger aggreates from which the dirt has beenremoved y the sieve 12 passes on through the hollow portion of the sieve12 and enters a ballast return chute 26 arranged at the lower end of thesieve. The chute 26 conducts the cleaned ballast to a movable hopper 27beneath the chute and beneath the sieve. The hopper 27 has a wide openupper end or mouth and is adapted to reciprocate trans* versely of theframe work of the machine by the provision of rollers 28 on the sides ofthe hopper entering channels or tracks 29 spanning the frame-work of themachine between the frame members 30. At its lower end the hopper 27 isequipped with a pair of doors 31 and 32. The door 31 having an arm 33and the door 32 an arm 34. The two arms 33 and 34 are connected by link35 and are operable by a lever 36 from4 arm 37, said lever 36 beingshiftable back and forth by a shaft 38 and crank wheel 39, to thus openand close the doors 31 and 32.

While I have shown the hopper 27 so that it operates 'between the rails22, nevertheless by having it elevated so that its lower end is abovethe plane of the rails 22, said hopper may be caused to move the entirelength of the ties 21 to feed the ballastback both between the rails 22and at the outer sides ,of the rails, to occupy its space between theties.

The hopper 27 will be reciprocated back and forth automatically, bysuitable mean's later described.

I contemplate provisions for raising and lowering the elevator 9including compressed air receiving cylinder 40 on the frame of themachine, the piston of which cylinder is connected by rod 41 to thelower arm 6 supporting the elevator. Introduction of air into the lowerend of the cylinder 40 by forcing its piston upwards will raise theelevator and if desired the latter may be locked up by suitable lockingmeans not shown, in which position it will remain while the machine isbein place and the allast cleaning mechanism is not in use at such time.

It will, of course, be obvious that if I use diggers or ballast removingdevices like those of the Overmier patent, I will provide an elevator 9at opposite sides of my machine instead of .one side, and will use twosieves 12 connected with a chute substantially like the chute 26.

It will be understood that my invention involves the combination of theballast removing, cleaning and returning means herein presented with amachine such as described in my previous Let-ters Patent. Such acombination machine is new, so far as I am aware and I therefore do notwish to be limited solely to the improvements which are presented hereinand which may be used exclusively as a ballast removing and cleaningmachine.

I now proceed to describe the means for automatically reversing themovement of the transported from place to hopper 27, which as it movesback and forth always receives the ballast from the chute 26, atwhatever position the hopper may assume in its transverse movement.

This reversal may be efficiently effected by a screw shaft 44 mounted inbearings 45 and carrying slidably mounted gears 47 and 48 adapted toselectively mesh with a bevel gear 49 driven from the vertical shaft 15,Figure 2. Thescrew shaft carries a threaded traveling block 50, which iscushioned at each limit of its travel by springs 51 disposed at thebearings 45, andarranged to engage the shifting levers 52' which arepivotally connected by a rod 53 also pivoted to the gear levers 54 forjointly shifting the gears 47 and 48. To retain these gears in shiftedposition one .of the levers 52 is providedl with a crank arm 55 having asnapover spring 56 disposed to hold said arm at either side of thepivotal center of the lever 52.

, So far as the subject matter relating to the ballast removing andelevating features is concerned, this application is a continuation inpart of my copending application, Serial No. 128,236, filed August 9th,1926, which application is a division of my Patent No. 1,595,420, August10th, 1926, with which it was copending. So this application alsoconstitutes a continuation in part of the patent referred to as regardsthe ballast removing and elevating feature.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine of theclass described, in combination, a portable support arranged to operatealong a railroad track, ballast removing devices carried by said supportand operating between the ties of the track to displace the ballast fromthe cribs between the ties and push it to one end of the ties, a ballastcleaning device, and means for conveying the ballast as removed by theremoving devices Y to said cleaning device, and instrumentalities forreturning the ballast after it is cleaned to the spaces between the tiesfrom which it has been removed, including a hopper arranged to traveltransversely of the railroadtrack and longitudinally of the ties.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a portablesupport arranged to operate along a railroad track, ballast removingdevices carried by said support and operating between the ties of thetrack to dis-v place the ballast from the cribs between the ties andpush it to one end of the ties, a ballast cleaning device and means forconveying the ballast as removed by the removing devices to saidcleaning device, and instrumentalities for returning the ballast afterit is cleaned to the spaces` between the ties from which it has beenremoved, including a hopper arranged'to travel transversely of therailroad track and longitudinally of the ties, the conveying means abovementioned consisting of an elevator for carrying the ballast from itselevation adjacentthe tracks up to a higher elevation from which it isfed to the cleaning device.

3. A portable ballast cleaning machine, l

comprising mechanically operated digging elements for removing ballastfrom between railroad ties, a receiver to receive the ballast soremoved, a ballast cleaner, and means for conducting the ballast fromthe receiver to the ballast cleaner.

4. A portable ballast cleaning machine, comprising diggers for removingballast from between railroad ties, a receiver to receive the ballast soremoved, a ballast cleaner, and means for conducting the ballast fromthe receiver to the ballast cleaner, and means for conducting cleanedballast back to the spaces between the railroad ties.

5. A portable ballast cleaning machine, comprising diggers for removingballast from between railroad ties, a receiver to receive the ballast soremoved, a ballast cleaner, and' means for conducting the ballast fromthe receiver to the ballast cleaner, and means for conducting cleanedballast back to the spaces between the railroad ties, and means forconducting dirt removed from the ballast to one side of 'a railroadtrack.

6. A ballast handling machine of the class described, a portable supportto move parallel with a railroad track, ballast removers arranged tomove transversely of the track, ballast elevating means to receive andcarry the ballast so removed, ballast cleaning means to receive theballast from the elevating means, and dirt conveying means to receivethe dirt cleaned out of the ballast and carry it to one side of thetrack.

7. A ballast handling machine of the class described, a portable supportto move parallel with a railroad track, ballast removers arranged tomove transversely of the track, ballast elevating means to receive andcarry the ballast soremoved, ballast cleaning means to receive theballast from the elevating means, and dirt conveying means to receivethe dirt cleaned out of the ballast and carry it to one side of thetrack, and a means to receive the cleaned ballast from the cleaningmeans and conduct the same between the ties of the track.

8. A ballast handling machine of the class described, a portable supportto-move parallel with a railroad track, ballast removers arranged tomove transversely of the track, ballast elevating means to receive andcarry the ballast so removed, ballast cleaning means to receive theballast from the elevating means, and dirt conveying means to receivethe dirt cleaned out of the ballast and carry it to one side of thetrack, and a hopper to receive the cleaned ballast from the cleaningmeans and conduct the same between the ties of the track, and means forreciprocating the hopper so it will travel parallel with the ties as itdeposits the ballast therebetween.

9. A portable ballast cleaning machine, comprising diggers for removingballast from between railroad ties, a receiver to receive the ballast soremoved, a ballast cleaner,

and means for conducting the ballast from the receiver to the ballastcleaner, and means for conducting cleaned ballast back to the spacesbetween the railroad ties, and means for conducting dirt removed fromthe ballast to one side of a railroad track, and means for adjusting theconducting means to an elevated position when not in use and lower it toa position to receive ballast from between the ties when it is to beused.

10. A machine of the class described, comprising ballast removingmechanism, ballast receiving and elevating mechanism cooperating withthe removing mechanism, ballast cleaning mechanism receiving the ballastfrom said elevating mechanism, and ballast return mechanism to replacethe ballast between the ties from which it has been removed.

11. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a portablesupport arranged to operate along a railroad track, ballast removingdevices carried by said support and operating between the ties of thetrack to displace the ballast from the cribs between the ties, a ballastcleaning device, means for conveying the ballast as removed by theremoving devices to said cleaning device, a hopper arranged to traveltransversely of said track, and means for automatically reversiug thedirection of travel of said hopper.

12. In a machine of the class described,in combination, a portablesupport arranged to operate along a railroad track, ballast removingdevices carried by said support and operating between the ties of thetrack to displace the ballast from the cribs between the ties, a ballastcleaning device, means for conveying the ballast as removed by theremoving devices to said cleaning device, a hopper arranged to traveltransversely of said track, a screw shaft provided with a travelingdevice, and levers having gear shifting connections and disposed to beactuated by said device at the opposite limits of its travel.

13. In a ballast machine of the class described, the combination with aframe, of means for removing ballast from between the ties and pushingthe same to one end of the ties, and means for elevating said ballastand returning it to the roadbed between the ties.

14. In a ballast machine of the class described, the combination with aframe, of means for pushing the ballast to a position at the end of theties, means for elevating

